A Rome homeowner listing a three-bedroom house this fall has one main way to compete, and that's the price. A builder a few miles away has several. They can buy down the mortgage rate, offer "flex cash," or cover closing costs. Each of those comes with a preferred lender, an expiration date and fine print. A buyer comparing the two homes is comparing a price against a financing package, and the two don't line up on a portal search screen.
That gap is useful context for the odd September numbers in Floyd County, and for a practical question: what a buyer in the $220,000 to $300,000 range is actually choosing between right now, and what each choice costs.
The September Numbers Point in Two Directions
The Greater Rome Board of REALTORS® September 2026 market brief put Floyd County's median sale price at $249,900 for the month. That was down 8.5% from $273,000 in September 2025 and down 5.3% from August. Closed sales in September 2026 fell 15.7% year over year to 86 homes. Active listings sat at 445, nearly flat with a year earlier.
Read alone, that looks like falling prices. A separate September 2026 report built on FMLS data, a different listing database, tells a more complicated story. It shows the same $249,900 median, but the median price per finished square foot was $164, up 5.8% from a year earlier.
A median sale price that falls while price per square foot rises means the headline number alone can't tell you what happened to values. The report's own explanation is that a median can move "because values changed, because a different mix of homes sold, or because both occurred." For a buyer, the practical point is that a lower county median doesn't mean the same house costs 8.5% less than it did a year ago.
The same FMLS data shows the friction on the seller side. In September 2026, sellers received an average of 93.5% of their original list price, and average cumulative days on market reached 76, up 13.4% from a year earlier. Homes are selling, but often after a price cut and a longer wait.
The two databases count inventory differently. The Board's GAMLS brief lists 445 active homes, while the FMLS report counts 329 at month end. They measure overlapping but different pools, so a buyer should pick one source and follow it month to month rather than mixing them.
Five Builder Communities Sit Right Around the Median
A resale seller pricing near $250,000 is competing with brand-new homes at almost the same price. These are the communities in Rome and Floyd County actively selling as of mid-October 2026, according to each builder's own pages:
| Community | Builder | Location | Advertised starting price | Advertised incentive, mid-October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Club | Ryan Homes | 5 Blossom Blvd NW | $217,990 | 5.25% rate, 5.968% APR |
| North Haven | Smith Douglas | 5 North Haven Dr | $224,990 | Up to $15,000 Flex Cash |
| Southbend | Smith Douglas | 865 Old Dalton Rd NE | $225,990 | Up to $20,000 Flex Cash |
| Northberry | D.R. Horton | Off Jones Bend Rd | $285,990 | 2/1 FHA buydown on certain homes, close by 11/30/26 |
| Three Rivers | UnionMain Homes | Sweet Water Lane SE | $265,000 move-in home | Up to 2% of price toward eligible closing costs on select inventory homes |
| Three Rivers | Fischer Homes | Sweet Water Lane | $296,000 to $354,000+ | 4.25% ARM offer, contract deadline passed 10/13/2026 |
Three of these communities start below the county median, and North Haven's floor plans run from 1,476 to 2,372 square feet. UnionMain's starting price isn't listed consistently. One move-in home is listed at $265,000, while its community overview says "from the $280s." Ryan Homes also lists a Heritage Grove community on its Rome-area page. That one is at 109 Trotter Lane in Calhoun, so it isn't in Floyd County.
Builders Discount the Loan. Resale Sellers Discount the House.
This is how the pressure works. A builder that cuts its base price lowers the comparable sales for every future home in the same community, so builders tend to protect the sticker price and spend money on financing. A resale seller has no in-house lender and no pool of discounted rate money. Their option is a lower price, and the 93.5%-of-original-list figure shows up in the county data.
These offers change quickly. UnionMain's earlier Three Rivers promotion was a 3-2-1 temporary buydown through its affiliated lender, UMH Mortgage. It required a contract by 10/15/2026 and closing by 10/31/2026. It has since been replaced by a "Fall Savings" offer advertised as covering closing costs on select inventory homes for buyers who finance with the preferred lender. In the fine print, the seller contributes up to 2% of the purchase price toward eligible buyer closing costs, and the buyer still pays other costs such as prepaids. The offer is described as limited-time and has no printed end date.
Fischer Homes' Three Rivers rate offer was a 4.25% initial rate on a 5/1 FHA adjustable-rate mortgage through Victory Mortgage. It required a minimum 3.5% down payment and a 680 credit score. After five years, the rate adjusts yearly at the one-year U.S. Treasury rate plus 2.25%, subject to caps. The purchase agreement had to be signed by 10/13/2026, yet the promotion was still showing in mid-October. Smith Douglas advertises a 4.99% 5/1 ARM on select homes and names Ridgeland Mortgage as its preferred lender. Its promotion page doesn't list a deadline. D.R. Horton's Northberry page carries a banner saying "Big home savings end November 1." Separately, it describes a 2/1 FHA buydown on certain Georgia homes, funded with $7,618.32 in incentive money. The rate is 3.50% in year one and 4.50% in year two, then a 5.50% fixed note rate for years three through 30. Buyers must contract on or after 10/09/26, close by 11/30/26, and pay a required 0.375% discount point. The page lets buyers put the incentive toward closing costs instead of the buydown.
Most of these offers run through a lender the builder chooses, and several of the lowest advertised rates are either temporary or adjustable after five years. The deadlines can also be shorter than the time a buyer needs to compare offers properly.
How to Compare a Builder Package With a Resale Price
The resale home and the new build almost never cost the same, even when their prices look close. A fair comparison looks at what you'd actually pay, month by month and in cash at closing:
- Get the incentive in writing with an end date. Ask the sales office whether the offer you saw online is still active. At Three Rivers, at least one advertised rate had already expired while it was still on the page.
- Check whether the rate is fixed, temporary or adjustable. A 5/1 ARM payment is set for five years and then follows the adjustment formula in the fine print. A 2/1 buydown starts lower and steps up to the full note rate in year three.
- Price the preferred-lender requirement. Get a quote from the builder's lender and one from a lender of your choice, then compare the full cost of each loan, not just the advertised rate.
- Add the recurring costs. UnionMain lists Three Rivers HOA dues at $650 a year. Ask every builder for its dues, and ask resale sellers the same question.
- Put a dollar value on what a resale seller is giving up. If a Rome resale home sells for about 93.5% of its original list price, that discount is the resale buyer's version of an incentive, and it comes with no lender strings.
- Compare price per square foot, not sticker price. With the county median per square foot at $164 in September 2026 and rising, a smaller home at a lower price isn't automatically the better value.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Loan terms, incentive rules and HOA obligations vary by buyer and by contract, so confirm your own situation with a licensed lender, attorney or tax professional before you sign.
The 900 Homes Not Yet Built
The competition for resale sellers may grow. The Rome News-Tribune reported in August 2025 that McKinley Homes had started site work in July 2025 on Rome Riverside. The project covers 309 acres bordered by Callier Springs Road, U.S. 411 and the Etowah River. The plan calls for 900 homes in six phases, mixing build-to-rent townhomes, for-sale townhomes and detached single-family houses.
According to that report, site work was expected to take 12 to 15 months, and home construction for Phase 1 would start no earlier than fall 2026. The developer said it hopes to attract workers from the Hyundai Motor Group and SK On battery plant near Cartersville, along with students at Berry College, Shorter University and Georgia Northwestern Technical College. As of mid-October 2026, McKinley's community page still says "Coming Soon," with single-family homes from the high $200,000s and a sales center at 825 Cartersville Hwy SE.
A starting price in the high $200,000s would put Rome Riverside right next to Three Rivers and Northberry. If phases arrive as planned, the east side of Rome along the U.S. 411 corridor would have more new homes priced near the county median. Sellers of older homes in that price range would then be competing with one more builder that can offer financing deals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Rome home values drop 8.5% in a year? Not necessarily. The September 2026 median fell 8.5% in the Board's GAMLS data, but the FMLS median price per square foot rose 5.8% over the same period. A median can move because values changed, because a different mix of homes sold, or both, so the 8.5% figure alone doesn't show what a specific home is worth today.
Can I use my own lender and still get a builder's incentive? It depends on the offer. The UnionMain, Fischer and Smith Douglas promotions described above each name a preferred or affiliated lender. Ask the builder in writing which parts of the offer require it.
Is Rome Riverside selling homes yet? As of mid-October 2026, the builder's page lists the community as "Coming Soon" and says floor plans, amenities and HOA details will be announced.
If you're weighing a Rome new build against a resale home, or pricing a resale home against the builder down the road, Amanda Jo Realty Group can help you put the incentive packages and the resale prices side by side, so you know what each one would cost you. Contact us to get started.
